Tragic Eyes
by pixie.dust.attack
Summary: A new arrival with tragic eyes and a dazzling smile worms her way into Booth's life, and his heart. Will she act as a catalyst for change for the infamous crime-solving team? Set in season 6.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

"And you're absolutely sure? It's a positive match?" There was a desperate sort of pleading in the man's voice as he pressed the cell phone against his ear, his hand clenched around the slender metal frame so tight his knuckles burned white. He wasn't entirely sure whether he wanted the answer to be 'yes' or 'no'. His mind whirred frantically, but he couldn't seem to comprehend what the clipped female voice chirped at him from the other end of the line. He answered her in autopilot, barely aware of what he said.  
"Right, you're certain. Ok. Wow. Sure. Uh, yeah, I got the file you sent over. Three days? Wow, ok that's fast. No, that's fine...three days it is. Ahuh, great. Yeah thanks. Bye."

The man stared blankly at the bare wall before him, his fist still pressing the phone against his ear, even though the flat, persistent tone indicated the call was over. He felt as if his mind were somersaulting, trying to process everything he'd discovered in the last two weeks, as well as this new development. He didn't know what to think or feel. _Shock,_ a small, analytical voice in the back of his mind, sounding far too much like his partner, informed him; _you're in shock_. A sigh escaped his lips as he finally let the phone fall from his grip, collapsing back against the hard-backed lounge in his partner's office. Removing the photo he had kept in his pocket for almost a fortnight, he examined it intensely, fiddling with the edges. What was he going to do? How was he going to tell people?

"Booth?" A familiar feminine voice startled him from his confused reverie. "Booth, what are you doing here? Do we have a case?" The man, Booth, jumped up from the couch to face his partner, stuffing the photo back in his jacket pocket.  
"Uh, no, not exactly," he confessed, trying to muster up a smile that felt forced and stiff. Clearly his preoccupation showed on his face, as his partner's lovely features immediately melded from surprise into concern.  
"Booth, what's wrong?" She demanded bluntly. Booth inhaled sharply, trying to think of the most logical way to present this to the scientist before him.  
"Listen, Bones, I need to tell you something. And, uh, I think I'm going to need your help."  
"Of course, Booth. What is it?"  
"Well, I have a situation. And I'm going to need you to come to the airport with me in three days." He passed a thin Manilla folder to the confused woman, and watched her expression shift as she rapidly scanned the file.

She glanced up, comprehension flashing in her bright azure eyes.  
"Oh."  
"Yeah."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

They stood at the arrivals gate of Washington airport. Booth scanned the crowd anxiously, his deep brown eyes darting and flickering like hummingbirds, searching the faces of the people hurrying past. Some ran to greet loved ones. Others purposefully collected baggage from the carousel and strode away, alone. But still Booth could not find who he was looking for. His feet shuffled in a sort of nervous, half-hearted pace, unable to keep still. Brennan, contrastingly motionless beside him, followed his every action with her sharp blue eyes.  
"How are you going to recognise her? Have you seen her before?" She questioned her partner as he scuffed his leather shoes against the linotype floor of the airport.  
"No, but I have her photo, okay Bones? See?" And he pulled from the inside pocket of his jacket a slightly worn, dog-eared photograph, the photo he had been carrying with him for a fortnight, thrusting it into the hands of his companion. She took it gently, handling it like some fragile piece of bone, as she examined it.

A teenage girl stared back at her from the photograph. Round, grey-blue eyes gazed dreamily out from a pale face framed by straight, light brown hair that hung down to her shoulders. Her pink lips stretched across her face in an impish grin. Brennan thought there was something familiar about the defined, squarish shape of her jaw, and the inherently defiant tilt of her head.

"Bones, look, her flight's unloading now," Booth muttered, his anxious pacing drawing him back to his partner. Sure enough, the screen above their heads now read the flight number of the Qantas Boeing from Sydney to Washington DC. And from the terminal, passengers emerged in droves. The man shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet, peering over the heads of the surging crowd. Nearby, a baby wailed as its parents wrestled it into a stroller, while passersby threw annoyed glances at the source of the noise. And still, the man struggled to see through the dense mob.

Abruptly, the crowd parted, hurrying past the man and woman to the baggage carousel.  
"Bones...Bones, I think that's her," murmured Booth uncertainly, edging forward slightly. Brennan followed his gaze, to see a young girl turning slowly on the spot a short distance away, dressed in sensible jeans, converse shoes and a plain blue t-shirt, looking slightly dazed. She was tightly clutching the strap of an Astro Boy backpack slung over one shoulder. Her wide stormy eyes searched her surroundings frantically as she slowly spun. A hand reached up impatiently to brush a strand of light brown hair from her pale face. She was, indeed, the girl from the photograph, although she lacked that mischievous, charming smile she wore in the photograph.  
"Well," Brennan murmured back, "aren't you going to talk to her?" Booth hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed, his breathing quick and ragged. His eyes fluttered closed for the briefest moment –  
"Okay," he declared, eyes snapping open. "Let's do this."

He sauntered forward as casually as possible, trying to hide his uncertainty, as the woman trailed behind him. The closer he approached the girl, the more anxious he became. His breathing quickened, his pulse raced. He fought to stay calm. In control. In command.

He reached hesitantly forward, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. She spun, startled and wary, to face him full on with those disarmingly wide, expressive eyes. _Tragic eyes_, Booth pondered briefly, as he bore the full brunt of her stare; _tragic, soulful eyes_.  
"Um –uh-you, er, you – I mean – you must be Cody. Cody Rivers?" he managed to stutter, inwardly cursing himself at how foolish he sounded. Idiot! What an awful introduction!  
"Yeah," she replied cautiously, her eyes narrowing at him. It seemed as if she was examining him the way his partner examined bones. Analysing. Assessing. Making a judgement. Fantastic, he thought. We're already off to a crap start. "You must be Special Agent Seeley Booth."  
"Just...just Booth will do, Cody." He was disarmed, again. How could a sixteen-year-old make him feel so unsure of himself? He hadn't expected her to call him "Special Agent". In fact, he hadn't planned for this part at all. What _was_ she supposed to call him?  
"Erm – this is Dr Temperance Brennan. Bones, this is Cody." The man, Booth, made the clumsy introduction to distract himself. The woman, Brennan, promptly stretched out her arm, offering her hand to the young girl.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cody," she said, briskly business-like. Just like she always was with strangers.  
"You too, Dr. Brennan." Cody replied. She turned back to Booth, frowning slightly. "Er, 'Bones'?" she asked.  
"Oh, uh, Dr. Brennan is my partner. I call her Bones," Booth explained. Cody looked even more perplexed by this explanation; her brow furrowed more deeply, and her eyes flickered between the pair.  
"Oh. Right. I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were in a relationship..." she mumbled, trailing off uncertainly.  
"What? Whoah, no! No, not that kind of partner," Booth hurriedly corrected her. Jeez! What an impression to be making on this kid! "No, Bones and I are work partners. We solve murders together. She's a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian. We work together. We're work partners, and friends. No other relationship." Booth worked to swallow the sudden lump in his throat. He didn't notice the subtle flinch in his partner's face as he spoke.

The creases in Cody's brow smoothed suddenly, so that her face once again looked like alabaster.  
"Oh, okay," she replied, looking, for some reason, vaguely relieved, and much less confused. Booth decided not to mention Hannah. There was no need to throw another bombshell into this mess so soon. An awkward silence followed, weighing down heavily on them like a suffocating weight. Booth and Brennan threw meaningful glances at each other, while Cody avoided eye contact.  
"Um, Bones here is actually an author too," Booth spurted out, just to break the tension. "Yeah, worldwide bestseller of crime fiction." There was a hint of pride in his tone, and he couldn't help but grin at his partner.  
"Oh, yeah, I know," Cody smiled shyly at Brennan. "I've actually read some of your books. They're very good," she told Brennan.  
"Yes, I know," Brennan replied frankly. "Uh, but thank you," she added swiftly, upon seeing Booth frown meaningfully at her.

The silence descended again, thick and heavy.

"Well, shall we go collect your suitcase?" Booth asked, a little overloud. Anything to compensate for the awkwardness  
"Suitcases," Cody corrected quietly.  
"You've got more than one?"  
"Well, yeah. I have three. I had to bring all the stuff I needed over with me. It seems like a lot, but it's really not all that much. And all the suitcases are on wheels, so they're easy to transport," she added almost pleadingly.  
"Hey, that's ok," Booth reassured her. "We'll grab a suitcase each. Let's go."

They piled the three enormous suitcases into the boot – _trunk,_ Cody mentally corrected herself, _they call it a trunk here_ - and climbed into the black SUV. Cody settled herself into the middle seat – neutral territory. Fence sitting. She did that a lot, nowadays. Like she didn't know where she stood in life, anymore.

Booth pulled out of the car park. They drove in silence for some time. The awkwardness, the silent tension, it was becoming suffocating. Cody wished for something, anything to cut through it. She wanted to skip this part, leap forward in time, to when there would be no awkwardness and weirdness, just familiarity and comfort. Well, that was, if there would ever come a time like that. At present, it was hard to fathom.

Booth's shrill ringtone split the air, providing, for a moment, a distraction from the tense stillness. Cody leant her head against the headrest and stared unseeingly out the window, as Booth's voice washed through the car. His conversation was brief; he snapped his phone shut and turned to Dr. Brennan.  
"We have a case," he murmured. "A body was found washed up on Chesapeake Bay."  
"What are you going to do about..." Brennan trailed off, glancing back at Cody, who pretended not to notice. Booth cleared his throat and peered at Cody through the rear view mirror.  
"Listen, Cody, we have a crime scene to go investigate," he explained apologetically. "It's not something I really want you to see. So, how about I drop you off at the apartment, give you a chance to unpack your stuff in peace, and I'll come back and collect you once we're finished at the scene?"  
"Sure," Cody agreed nonchalantly, and continued gazing out the window. She didn't care. It was hard to care about anything anymore.

Booth dropped her at his apartment and gave her a rushed tour before disappearing with Dr. Brennan to investigate the case, leaving Cody alone to explore the small apartment. She dragged her heavy suitcases into the second bedroom, a cosy room with pale blue walls. And bunk beds, she noticed. She assumed the bottom one was intended for her – the doona cover (_duvet cover_, she thought, trying to adjust to American colloquialism) was striped pink and purple. A clueless man just trying to find something girly, she guessed, slumping onto the bed and trying to ignore her strong dislike of pink. The top bunk's cover was dark blue and covered in racing cars. Appropriate for a little boy, she thought, wondering if Agent Booth had a son, and if he'd explain that to her later. She squirmed uneasily at the thought of how much she was disrupting his life, the guilt burrowing its way into her stomach.

She lay back on the bed, her body succumbing to jet lag as if it were a physical weight pushing her down. A fourteen hour flight without a moment's sleep was exhausting, and while her mind was still wired and busily buzzing, her body was on the point of collapsing. As her eyes fluttered, and she sank into that strange dream realm between sleep and wakefulness, she took one last look at the little room. Her room. Her new home.


	3. Chapter 2

**Thank you to all the lovely readers who added this story to their alerts! Sorry for the delay in posting this, I've been studying. Hope this answers some questions **

**Reviews are always appreciated.**

Chapter 2:

It felt like only a few minutes had passed since the dark oblivion of sleep had claimed her; but a gentle tug on her foot startled Cody into sudden consciousness. Jerking upwards, she first noticed the glowing alarm clock beside her, which blinked 3:14 – so it hadn't been a few minutes, but rather a few hours that she had been sleeping. She then turned sharply, her bleary eyes falling on a face that was strange and familiar all at once, like so many things these days.  
"Oh, hi. Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." His voice was no more than a hoarse whisper, as if he was still trying not to wake her. "I was just..." he held up one of her black gym boots, almost guiltily, in explanation.  
"Hey," Cody mumbled back groggily, trying half-heartedly to finger-comb her tangled mess of hair. "That's okay."

Booth felt like he was falling into the depths of her stormy eyes which, even bleary with sleep, were piercing and tragic. He couldn't help but wonder why those blue orbs held such pensive, worldly sorrow; a serious soulfulness that did not match her youthful face.

It was a moment before he realised the girl had raised a questioning eyebrow at his silent staring. He hurriedly cleared his throat.  
"So, uh, Bones and I are headed back to the lab." Booth jabbed a thumb behind him in the direction of his partner who, Cody noticed, was leaning against the doorframe, watching the scene unfold before her with a sort of affectionate curiosity. "You can come, if you'd like, or you can stag and sleep off the jetlag."  
"What's at the lab?"  
"The squints." Cody wrinkled her nose in confusion. "Uh, sorry, Bones' team. They deal with all the forensic, science-y stuff on our cases. I'll introduce you to them, if you wanna come." Cody was confused by his tone at this last comment; he sounded eager and reluctant all at once.

Cody weighed her options. While enduring inquisitive stares and questions from strangers was not particularly appealing, neither was being left alone in a strange apartment, especially when she knew the blissful oblivion of sleep would not return to her over-active mind. So, with a deep breath, she made up her mind. 

"Sure, I'll come." For the second time her nose wrinkled, but this time in disgust. "Just let me change my shirt, I smell like airplane."

Cody found herself in the middle backseat of Booth's SUV for the second time that day, as they headed towards the Jeffersonian. In the front seat, she could hear Booth and Dr. Brennan bickering about the case. She listened absent-mindedly as she watched the scenery flash past the window.

"Booth, that's pure conjecture! You have absolutely no evidence to base that upon," Brennan exclaimed loudly, prompting Cody's interest in their conversation.  
"We've been through this Bones, I'm positing a scenario. Play along," Booth growled.  
"You have no evidence to posit a scenario with! All I've done is a preliminary examination, and all I've discovered so far is he was male, between 30 and 35, of tall stature, who was subject to premeditated torture prior to being killed."  
"How'd you figure that out?" Cody questioned curiously. The adults in the front seat glanced back at her, surprised that she'd been listening. Brennan looked to Booth for permission to explain the case to his daughter.  
"No gory or technical details, Bones, just the basics," he murmured after a moment. Brennan took a deep breath; she hated simplifying the evidence.  
"Indicators on the bones of the victim suggest that it was a premeditated murder; while multiple stab wounds would indicate a crime of passion, it seems this man suffered various deliberate torture techniques before his throat was slit with some sort of blade." Cody blinked in surprise.  
"You got all that just from his bones?" She asked, amazed.  
"Yes, and I'll be able to discover more in a thorough examination at the lab," she told the girl as Booth pulled into his parking spot at the Jeffersonian.

Booth inhaled sharply, gathering his thoughts and nerves, before turning in his seat to offer Cody what he hoped was a reassuring and confident smile. He himself wasn't feeling particularly confident at that moment. 

"Dr Brennan, the FBI just called, the remains should be here in the next twenty minutes," a dark-skinned woman said by way of greeting as she descended the platform steps. She smiled in surprise as she noticed an unfamiliar girl trailing behind the pair.  
"I see you've bought a visitor..." the woman's voice trailed off uncertainly, her deep brown eyes flickering between the three in search of an answer.  
"Oh, yeah. Cam, meet Cody Rivers. Cody, this is Dr Camille Saroyan," Booth made the uneasy introduction, pushing the girl forward a bit.  
"Hi," Cody offered a pale, slender hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you."  
"Same here." Cam's eyes were still fixed questioningly on the fidgety FBI agent as she shook the small hand, silently begging for an explanation.  
"Uh...so, Bones, since the remains aren't here yet, do you mind showing Cody around the lab for a few minutes?" It was more of a demand than a question. "I need to have a word here with Cam."  
"Oh, sure," Brennan bit back a retort at his bossiness, sensing it wasn't appropriate at that moment. Instead, she gestured for Cody to follow her as she strode purposefully in the direction of her office. Cody dutifully trailed after her, but threw an uncertain glance at Booth over her shoulder as she left with those soulful blue eyes. Booth felt his chest constrict with a surge of protectiveness he had only ever felt around Parker and Bones before. He shook his head. After less than 12 hours of knowing her, that little girl was already tugging at his heartstrings.

Cam, however, was not to be ignored while he was dealing with these knew feelings. She raised an eyebrow at her old friend, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.  
"So, Seeley, when did you start offering tours of the Jeffersonian to random teenage girls?"  
"Very funny, _Camille_."  
"Seriously, Booth, what's going on?"  
"Well...she's not exactly a random teenager." Booth inhaled shakily, mentally preparing himself for Cam's reaction, as those three simple words, so loaded with meaning, tumbled hastily from his mouth.

"She's my daughter."


	4. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the story alerts, and the reviews! I'm sorry, this chapter has a lot of dialogue (I hate it when there's too much dialogue) – but it's necessary to move the story along! So, enjoy, and let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. I wish I owned Booth, though.**

Chapter Three:

The smile froze on Cam's face.

"Come on, Seeley. That's not funny. Be serious."  
"I _am_ being serious, Camille. Cody is my daughter."  
"Oh, my god." Cam didn't know how to react. "How...when? I mean, did you know about this? You've never mentioned a daughter before! How could you not tell me?" She whacked him repeatedly with the case file she was clutching. "What are you, some kind of freaking stud horse?"  
"Ow! Hey, watch it!" He tried to bat Cam's attacks away. "Jeez, Cam, calm down. I only found out she existed three weeks ago! And I only got the DNA test confirmed three days ago. She arrived this morning." A hurt expression flashed across Cam's fine-featured face.  
"How come you didn't ask me to do the DNA test? I'm a pathologist, Booth, and I'm your friend." It was rare for Cam to whine about anything, but she was feeling a little out of the loop and disoriented at present.  
"C'mon, Cam," Booth groaned. "You know I would have asked you. But Foster care system in Sydney wanted to perform it themselves. They were pretty uptight about the whole thing, really."  
"She came all the way from Sydney?" Cam let out a low whistle. "Well, that explains the odd accent."  
"Okay, so, now you know, just don't – you know – blab it about the lab or anything. I don't want all the squints staring at her or interrogating her or anything. It must be hard enough for her." Cam mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key, and Booth couldn't help but grin at her childishness. Cam returned the smile, a twinkle in her dark eyes.

"Booth -" she began, only to have him cut her off.  
"I guess I'd better go find Bones, the remains should be here soon." His voice was overloud, pointed. Cam nodded.  
"Right."

B&B&B&B&B

"And this is my office." Brennan held the door open for Cody, following her inside. Cody nodded politely as she noticed the desk and couch, the bookcases and artefacts, that decorated the large space. Heck, it was bigger than her room – both back home in Sydney, and in Booth's apartment.

An awkward silence settled over the pair. Cody searched through the recesses of her mind desperately for something to say; she wanted to ask Brennan something, maybe about her work, or Booth, but she didn't know where to begin. And clearly, Brennan was equally clueless, although she didn't seem overly bothered by the silence.

"So...how long have you been working with Agent Booth?" The awkward question was like a fishing hook she'd thrown into deep water, hoping it would catch something.  
"More than five years. We've been on a seven month break, though. I went to a dig in the Maluku islands, while Booth returned to the army," Brennan informed her in that clinical tone she always seemed to use.  
"Oh, right. Well, you seem like good partners. Close, you know..." Cody mumbled, trailing off uncertainly. "Uh, you said he went back to the army?"  
"Yes, to Afghanistan, to train troops."  
"So, he's been in the army before?"  
"Yes, he was - " the words _'he was a sniper'_ had almost slipped from Brennan's lips, but she stopped herself hastily – she had a feeling Booth did not want Cody privy to that information. "...He was in the army for a while before he joined the FBI." Brennan paused and eyed the young girl before her thoughtfully, examining her like human remains. Cody squirmed a little under her intense gaze.  
"What?"  
"Cody, what do you know about your father?"  
"Not a lot," Cody shrugged. "Actually, practically nothing. Mum refused to speak about him most of the time. Before she died, she handed me a photo and my birth certificate, and told me his name was Seeley Booth. That was the first time I'd ever heard of him." Buried within the attempted nonchalance of this statement was a hint of a deep bitterness that simmered beneath the surface, and she determinedly fixed her eyes on her scuffed shoes.

Brennan blinked in surprise, as a feeling she identified as pity swelled in her chest. She knew what it was like to not have parents around, to feel abandoned. She struggled to find the right words to comfort the girl before her.  
"Cody...you know Booth didn't know you even existed, don't you? If he had, he would have come looking for you long ago." Cody glanced up, startled, those tragic stormy eyes boring into Brennan's cerulean ones.  
"Really?" It escaped from her lips as a whisper.  
"Yes. Booth is a good man. He didn't knowingly abandon you."  
"Oh." She wasn't sure how to take this news – she's been harbouring a grudge for so long, but it suddenly felt...inappropriate. She offered the doctor a wavering grin that felt strange on her lips, as if her muscles were rusty from lack of use. She realised it had been a long time since she had smiled properly. "Thanks."

"Sweetie, I think the body's arriving, do you need a facial reconstruction now, or - " the feminine voice that had wafted into the room was cut off short as its owner observed the stranger in Brennan's office.  
"Sorry. I didn't realise you had company, sweetie." Cody felt slightly awkward as this newcomer eyed her with an sharp, inquisitive stare.  
"That's okay, Angela. This is Cody. She's Booth's daughter.

"You're. Kidding."

Brennan looked puzzled. "Why would I be kidding?" Angela rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Booth found out about her recently, and she arrived here this morning."  
"Well, wow, who would have thought that Booth had a love child?" Angela had that mischievous, knowing grin plastered on her face. "To think that there's been another Booth floating around out there all this time. It's nice to meet you, Cody."  
"Oh, uh, you too," Cody muttered, still in a bit of shock about the 'love child' comment. Was that was she was? She'd never thought about it that way.

"Sweetie, can I talk to you in private for a second?" Angela wrapped a hand around Brennan's forearm in an iron grip and practically dragged her from the office, leaving a confused Cody looking lost and lonely.  
"Okay, so, explain this to me again?"  
"What don't you understand, Ange? Booth got a call from Foster care system in Sydney three weeks ago, they DNA test confirmed paternity, and she arrived here this morning." Brennan wasn't sure why Angela was so puzzled. It wasn't that difficult to grasp.  
"And when did Booth tell you about this?"  
"Three days ago. I went with him this morning to pick her up from the airport." Angela's dark eyes widened at this juicy piece of gossip.  
"Oh really? And has he told Hannah yet?" she demanded eagerly.  
"I have no idea. How is that relevant?"  
"Well, Booth's love child appears in his life suddenly, and the first person he tells is his partner. _Not_ his girlfriend. Then he asks _you_ to go to the airport with him – not Hannah." Angela was, Brennan thought, overly excited about this. To Brennan, it was still a foggy mystery as to what _this_ actually was. "Oh, it's all coming together now!" she squealed.  
"I don't know what that means."  
"Bren, think about it!" Brennan shook her head at her friend's antics.  
"You said the remains have arrived. Can you keep Cody company while I examine them?" Brennan had spun on her heel and marched off, snapping white latex gloves on as she went, before Angela even had a chance to reply. Angela heaved a sigh. She would get those two together eventually. Even if she had to physically push them.

With that though, she grinned in satisfaction and flounced back into Brennan's office, ready to get the dish from Booth's mysterious love child. 


	5. Chapter 4

**Okay, thought I'd get this one out now, because there probably won't be any more updates for a while – I have a truckload of exams, and writing this is distracting me from studying. **

**Thanks for the story alerts, lovely readers. Please let me know what you think! There's a pretty little button down the button, and all you have to do is click **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. I just obsess over it.**

Chapter 4:

It had been a long time since Cody had really talked to anyone, let alone liked anyone.

But she decided she liked Angela. She might even like Dr Brennan, once she learned how to decipher her clinical scientific talk.

But she definitely liked Angela the Artist.

They had spent over an hour chatting in Dr Brennan's office before she'd been called away to work on the case. Just chatting like old friends, talking about anything and everything – talking in a way that Cody hadn't talked for months. Admittedly, Angela had done most of the talking while Cody had listened and re-learnt how to use her smiling muscles – it was hard not to smile at Angela's stories – but it felt good to do something so normal, so casual. Something that wasn't fraught with tension and silence.

Resting her forehead against the cool glass of the passenger window of the SUV, her unfocused eyes letting the scenery slip by unnoticed, Cody let her thoughts wander to her time with Angela the day before.

"_So, Cody. That's an unusual name for a girl," Angela remarked. She was lounging on the couch in Brennan's office, hands resting complacently on the slight swell of her stomach. She smiled kindly at the Booth girl opposite her, who was perched cross-legged on one of Brennan's guest chairs.  
"I guess," Cody shrugged, disinterested. "Mum was a bit of a feminist, didn't want me having a 'girly' name that would 'hold me back in life'. That's what she always said. Personally, I think a whole lot of Demerol went into that decision." Angela's peal of amused laughter startled a hesitant smile out of the younger girl.  
"Nice," Angela chuckled appreciatively. "She sounds like my kind of woman. So what's your full name, Cody William John Booth or something?" she teased.  
"No," Cody murmured, a shadow of a smile ghosting her pink lips. "Cody Grace Rivers". _

_Angela's face and tone softened.  
"That's really pretty, Cody. It suits you." Cody cleared her throat roughly and changed the topic, suddenly feeling self-conscious.  
"So, um, congratulations, by the way. Have you thought of any names yet?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I just assumed you were pregnant, you keep touching your stomach, and I though, sine we were talking about names..." Cody rambled nervously. Surprised laughter erupted from Angela.  
"No, sweetie, you're right. Gosh, you're astute. Just like your old man." She grinned at the teenager. "No names yet. But hey, do you want to see our first ultrasound?" she asked eagerly, pulling the image from the depths of her jacket pocket._

And, just like that, Cody had felt a tentative bond forming. As the black SUV wove through the early morning traffic of DC, Cody was glad to be heading back to the Jeffersonian, despite the lingering tension between her and Booth. Angela's chatty exuberance for life, and even Dr Brennan's strange science-speak, were the best distractions she had found in 4 months; and she was certain of finding many more, in a lab full of quirky scientists.

B&B&B&B&B&B

They'd hardly made it through the sliding glass doors of the lab before the eager Angela swooped down and whisked Cody away to her office, under the vague excuse of "important, secret girly matters to discuss". Booth was glad that his eccentric friend and his new-found daughter had taken such a liking to each other. But at the same time, he felt a strange pang of jealousy that Angela was stealing yet more precious time from him; and he couldn't help but be resentful that Cody would talk to Angela, the crazy artist she'd only just met, and not him. He tried to shrug the uncomfortable – and _irrational_, his inner-Brennan-voice added – feeling as he swiped his security card and marched up the stairs to the platform. The squint squad was already assembled and hard at work.

"Alright, squint squad, give me an update." Brennan glanced up from the remains to point to a file beside the nearest monitor.  
"Angela's initial sketch got a kit off the missing person's database."  
"Todd McKenzie, 35, reported missing by his sister 6 months ago," Booth muttered as he read the file.  
"Alright, Bones, time to go inform the next of kin. Chop chop, let's go!"

B&B&B&B&B

Booth was uncharacteristically quiet on the drive out to visit McKenzie's sister. From experience, Brennan knew he was mulling something over, and kept throwing surreptitious, concerned glances at him as he drove. She didn't think he'd noticed, until he snapped "What?" at her.  
"Nothing," she replied with a shrug. "You just seem...distracted."  
"I'm fine." Brennan quirked an eyebrow but didn't press the issue.

After a long pause, Booth hesitantly broke the silence.  
"It's just...she doesn't look anything like me. She looks just like her mother." Booth didn't need to clarify who _she_ was.  
"I disagree. There's a definite genetic similarity in the shape of her jaw, mouth and nose, even if they're slightly more feminine." Booth sighed at this clinical assessment, although he hadn't expected anything different.  
"Yeah, I guess. It's just hard to believe she's mine...my daughter."

_Daughter._ The word, so small and fragile, yet so heavy with meaning, still sent a thrill through him. The whole thing felt surreal.

"I dunno, Bones," he sighed. "I guess I'm just a bit worked up. Sorry."  
"I don't see why," Brennan frowned in confusion. "You love being a father – this should make you happy."  
"Yeah but...I missed so much, you know? I mean...sixteen years. She's been wandering around out there for 16 years, and I didn't even know about it. How do I make up for all that lost time?" The crack in his voice betrayed his anguish. "And, you know, she won't talk to me. I mean, she'll talk to Angela, but we get home last night and she heads straight to bed, mumbling something about jetlag. How...how am I supposed to be her father if she won't talk to me?"

Brennan bit her lip anxiously. She could see how much this pained him, and she was desperately searching for the right thing to say – something she was never very good at.  
"Booth...you said yourself, the social worker told you she was basically unresponsive and mute when she was put into the foster system. The fact that she'll speak to anyone shows progress. That suggests a high possibility she'll come to trust you, and talk to you, soon." Booth couldn't help but smirk at that remark.  
"Bones, did you just use psychology on me?"  
"No, I made an inference based on behavioural observations," she countered defensively. She hesitated for a moment, before resting a hand on his forearm and giving a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "And the time thing? There's no actual way to 'make up' for lost time – once it's passed, you can't get it back. But...I know you'll try your hardest."

Booth gave her one of his grateful charm-grins.  
"Thanks, Bones," he said quietly, his dark eyes holding her crystal ones for a long, meaningful moment that spoke more than her awkward words ever could. _Just like before Hannah, _Brennan thought, before hastily shoving the treacherous thought aside. She smiled, a little sadly, before breaking eye contact and pointing to an approaching house.  
"That's the address."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 4:

**Hi, readers! Sorry for the major delay in updating! HSC exams are kind of all-consuming. BUT this one is REALLY long to make up for it **** Hope you enjoy. Reviews or messages are always welcome – I love any feedback, so let me know what you think!**

Booth was annoyed. To put it mildly.

They were getting nowhere with the case. All they had so far was identity and probable cause of death. This week's squintern, Wendell, was still cataloguing injuries, the interrogation of the victim's sister had been useless, and they didn't have a single lead or suspect.

Booth knew that, realistically, crimes like murder didn't get solved in two days. But still, by this stage they usually had a _little_ more to go on than this. He usually at least had a feel for the victim. But in this case – nada.

He was making no progress with Cody, either. For the second night in a row, she'd deliberately avoided him, heading straight to bed without pausing to talk or even eat. He, Seeley Booth, protective-alpha-male-Mr-fix-it-man, was failing as a father.

And if he was honest with himself, that was frustrating him even more than the case.

So, when he walked through the lab doors that morning, trailed by his ever-silent daughter, the last thing he felt like dealing with was his twelve-year-old, baby duck shrink.

"Sweets, what are you doing here?" Booth demanded, his annoyed-o-meter jumping up a degree. Sweets spun to face the oncoming agent.

"Agent Booth, I came to drop of the profile for your latest case." He passed a thin manila folder to the older man.

"You could have just dropped this at my office," Booth grumbled as he flicked through the profile.

"Well, I thought you'd want it as soon as possible, and – who is that?" Sweets asked, peering around Booth as he noticed the teenager standing behind him for the first time.

Booth bit back a groan. He really, _really_ didn't want to tell Sweets, knowing it would just lead to more therapy sessions.

"Sweets, meet Cody. Cody, Sweets," he introduced them gruffly. The girl waved. "She's my daughter."

"She's your _what?"_ Sweets almost choked. Fortunately, Booth was saved by Angela's impeccable timing.

"Hey Booth, Cody." Angela grinned at the scene she had just walked into. "Sweetie, I have that movie we were talking about yesterday in my office, wanna come with me?" she asked Cody.

"Sure."

"Hang on, what movie?" Booth demanded of Angela, hoping it was going to be some R-rated arthouse flick.

"The Mummy, Booth, don't freak out," Angela rolled her eyes at his jump into overprotective-dad mode. "I was telling Cody yesterday about that case we worked last year with the mummy, and she mentioned she's always wanted to see that movie. So, I set it up for her to watch while we try to make a break on this case." Angela smiled wryly as she dragged Cody to her office. Leaving Booth alone with the inquisitive psychologist. He marched towards the forensics platform in a futile attempt to avoid him, but Sweets merely followed, peppering him with questions.

"You're serious, she's your _daughter_? When did you find that out?"

"Not long ago Sweets, okay? I wasn't hiding anything from you," Booth retorted with a sigh of defeat, swiping his card and stomping up the platform stairs.

"This is a big deal, Booth! A revelation like this -"

"She's not a _revelation_, Sweets, she's my kid -"

"Alright, well then her unexpected presence could have enormous consequences on your life and relationships!"

"No shit, Sherlock."

"I really think we need to discuss this in our weekly session."

"Squint squad! Do we have anything new in this case?" Booth, ignoring the shrink, barked at the scientists watching the verbal volleyball match between Sweets and Booth.

"Good morning to you too, Booth," Cam said dryly. "Tox screen came back negative for any drugs, sedative or otherwise."

"I've been cataloguing injuries on the bones," Wendell added. "Angela's going to put the data into the Angelator once I've finished to try and recreate a scenario."

"Is that it? Seriously?"

"There's no need to get snappy, Booth," Brennan commented, not looking up from the femur bone she was examining intently.

"Perhaps Cody's presence is causing you to take out your stress on your colleagues, Agent Booth?" Sweets suggested, subtly (or not-so-subtly, really) prying for more information.

"Alright, Sweets, shut up or I'll deck you."

By this stage, Angela had returned.

"Why would Cody make you stressed? She's a great kid," she questioned, cutting of Sweets' observation on "threats of violence".

"Yeah, well, that's fantastic, but I wouldn't know, since she won't talk to me," Booth grumbled. Sweets jumped on this.

"Why do you think that is?"

"For God's sake, Sweets, I don't know!" Booth snapped. "I don't even know if she's eaten since she's arrived, let alone what's going on in her head."

"Oh, she has," Angela remarked. "We shared a box of pop-tarts yesterday."

"Angela, that's incredibly unhealthy!" Brennan admonished, finally yanking her attention away from the skeleton on the table.

"Oh, come on, I'm pregnant! Besides, Cody asked for them. She's never tried them before."

Booth sighed. Well, at least she'd eaten _something_. But something had to give, soon. She couldn't survive off half a box of pop-tarts for the rest of the week.

The trilling of his cell phone interrupted whatever psychological spiel Sweets was about to launch into. Booth moved away slightly from the curious group of scientists to answer it. It really didn't stop them from eavesdropping.

"Booth...oh, hey Hannah. No, nothing new, just working on a case. How's New York?" There was silence from Booth as he listened to Hannah chatter on the other end of the line. "So when do you get back? Saturday? Oh, um, it's probably not a great night to catch up...I'm real busy with this case, plus I'll have Parker this weekend...yeah, no, sure, we'll talk about it later. Alright, love you too. Bye."

Booth flipped the phone shut and spun around – to be confronted by six pairs of staring eyes and surprised faces. Well, five really. Bones, like always, just looked a little oblivious.

"You haven't told Hannah about Cody yet?" Hodgins demanded incredulously, the first to break the tense silence. "That is a slippery slope, my friend."

"Okay, you're a paranoid conspiracy nut, I'm not taking advice from you."

"It's interesting that you've told your work colleagues, and not your romantic partner, about your daughter -"

"No, Sweets, it's not _interesting_," Booth spat through gritted teeth. Why were they ganging up on him all of a sudden? In fact, why were they even getting involved? This was _his_ life, damn it. "Hannah's been away all week following some story in New York. I haven't seen her, so I haven't had a chance to tell her. It's not exactly something you announce over the phone."

"Yes, but it sounds like you're also avoiding–"

"Look, can we just get back to work?" Booth demanded with a frustrated sigh. He had a feeling this was going to be a long couple of weeks.

B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B

"_Booth!" He spun at the familiar call, eyes flicking upwards to the source of the noise. He sighed when he found it, although his lips tugged into an involuntary smile. She had somehow clambered to the top of a statue they had been walking past. He hadn't even noticed her slip away from him._

"_What are you doing, you crazy woman?" He called back, shielding his eyes from the glare of the midday sun as he stared up at her. Even from this distance, he was dazzled by her mischievous grin and glinting blue eyes. With one hand gripping the edge of the statue, she leaned forward, balancing precariously as she hung above him. Her light brown hair fanned out behind her in the gentle breeze._

"_Would you catch me if I fall?" She asked.  
"Get down from there! You really will fall in a minute."  
"Would you catch me if I fall?" She persisted. Booth edged a little closer to the statue, placing himself directly beneath her.  
"Of course I would. But, you know, you could just climb down and avoid the whole falling and catching situation," he suggested, muscles tensed in preparation. He knew how unpredictable she could be._

_She flashed him that cheeky, charming grin, and Booth prepared himself for the coming jump; but, to his surprise, she climbed down obediently, skipping over to slip her arm through his. _

"_Did I freak you out?" She asked innocently. He wasn't falling for that act.  
"No."  
"I did too."  
"Did not."  
"Hey let's get ice cream!" She was suddenly out of his grip again, rushing over to a nearby ice-cream stand, like a hyperactive two-year-old. Booth watched her gallop off fondly, a bemused smile still fixed on his face. He would miss her when she left._

_Screeching to a sudden stop when she reached the ice-cream vendor, she pivoted on the spot and waved at Booth, urging him to hurry up.  
"C'mon, Booth!" she yelled impatiently, laughing as he jogged to catch up with her. Her high, clear laugh echoed in his head..._

The laughter suddenly changed. It became deeper, rougher, raspier. It was less even, coming out in sudden gasping spurts between thick silence and whimpering.

And then Booth realised he was awake, no longer dreaming. And the laughter was...no. It couldn't be. Was it...sobbing?

As quietly as he could, Booth rolled from bed and tiptoed gingerly down the hall. The strangled sobbing got louder as he neared Cody's room. A soft shaft of light spilled from the crack under the door. He gently pushed the door open, silently shocked by the sight that met him.

Cody sat hunched in the middle of the bottom bunk bed, knees drawn up to her chest, rocking rhythmically back and forth. Some sort of photo album was spread across the bed before her. Her chest heaved with dry, desperate sobs, while tears spilled unhindered from her eyes, creating salty tracks down her flushed cheeks. She glanced up, startled, as Booth slipped into the room.

"Cody? Hey, sweetie, what's wrong?" Booth asked urgently, hurrying over to the girls side.

"Oh, hi." Cody tried valiantly – but unsuccessfully – to stop the sobs, hurriedly dashing the tears from her eyes. She stopped her rocking, trying to act normal.

"Cody, talk to me. Are you okay?" Booth laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. And with that, her face crumpled all over again.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," she whispered between sobs. Her rocking resumed, more frantic than before.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about you." Booth sat cautiously on the bed beside her, watching her intently with concern.

"It's just – oh, it's so stupid...I just – sometimes – I know she – she's been dead for f-four months b-but – but – I miss her – god, I miss her so much it hurts," she gasped desperately as her sobs tore through her slender frame. She gestured vaguely at the album before her as a fresh fountain of tears flowed freely down her face.

One glance at the photo in the album told him everything. It was of Cody, probably fourteen years old, wrapped up in the affectionate embrace of a woman with identical sparkling blue-grey eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's so – so stupid - "

"Hey, hey," Booth interrupted her, gathering the shaking girl into his arms. "Never apologise for missing your mother – never. It's not stupid at all." She stiffened a little as he wrapped his arms around her back; but after a moment, she relaxed into his comforting embrace, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed. Booth could feel her tears soaking into his t-shirt, but still he pulled her close, rocking her gently as he rubbed her back and smoothed a hand across her hair soothingly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his chest between sobs. "I didn't – didn't mean t-to do this to y-you, coming here and – and wrecking y-your life, and c-crying on your shoulder."

"Don't say that, baby girl," he whispered in her ear, trying to hide his shock at her words. "You never wrecked my life – I'm so glad you're here. And you can cry on my shoulder any time. It's okay, it's okay. I'm here, I've got you, it's okay." He continued to whisper soothing nonsense to her, until her breathing evened out and her tears stopped falling. After a long while, she pulled away from the protective circle of his arms.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "Sometimes, I look through my photo album – just to remember, you know...I don't want to forget her. But...it always makes me cry."

"Don't apologise, Cody. I want you to be able to talk to me – I want to be here for you when you need a shoulder to cry on. I want you to trust me, sweetheart. I'm your dad." He flashed his most charming smile, earning a chuckle from Cody, in spite of her swollen, tear-streaked face and puffy red eyes.

"Well...thank you," she said, honestly grateful.

There was a moment of silence – a silence that was noticeably less strained than it once was. And then:

"So, you hungry?"

"Starved." Booth couldn't help but laughed as he pulled her off the bed and into the kitchen.

"I'm not surprised – you've hardly eaten since you got here." Cody leant against the counter as he rummaged through the fridge. Suddenly, he emerged, milk bottle in one hand, chocolate sauce in the other, with a charmingly devious grin spread across his face.

"Chocolate milkshakes and cookies?" He suggested.

And then, to his surprise, Cody smiled; no, she _grinned. _Her pink lips stretched across her cheeks, lighting up her entire face. Even her eyes sparkled with a child-like joy that obliterated the tragedy behind them. It was a dazzling sight.

"Yes!"

Despite it being 1.34 in the morning, father and daughter sat across from each other at the table, slurping on milkshakes; and for the first time since she had arrived, Cody and Booth did not sit in silence and avoid eye contact. With relief and gladness, Booth listened as Cody finally emerged from her shell-shocked state and _talked_.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

**Hi all! So, this chapter is very short, but I thought I'd throw you guys something small as a thank you for the reviews and alerts and just for reading this story in general, because I won't be able to update again for a little while – more exams. Anyway, hope you enjoy, reviews and feedback are as adored as they are inspiring.**

**Thanks to the anonymous reviewer Kriti – I couldn't thank you personally, but thank you for feeling so strongly about the last chapter! =]**

As he sauntered into his office the next morning, Booth was in a good mood. It had taken a tear-drenched t-shirt, a midnight snack of milkshakes and cookies, and a complete lack of sleep, but Booth had finally cracked through Cody's shell. What was more, when he'd tentatively asked Cody for any photos from her childhood, she had willingly handed him her precious photo-album – a definite sign of trust. Now, Booth settled himself at his desk and opened up the dark blue covers of the album, fully intending to spend the morning flipping through this record of his daughter's life.

But as he examined each photo, fingers brushing gently over Cody's face in each one, his good mood turned bittersweet. Because each snapshot was a painful reminder of everything he had missed in his daughter's life – all the lost time that he couldn't make up for, no matter how hard he tried. Booth flicked slowly through the album, smiling sadly at each photo and the growing life they recorded.

The first was of a familiar young woman, in a hospital bed, nursing a bundle of blankets that was obviously a newborn. _Flip. _The same woman, now smiling fondly while a startled-looking toddler attempted to blow out two candles on a butterfly-shaped birthday cake. _Flip. _The woman, crouching, her arm wrapped around the waist of a beaming five-year-old dressed immaculately in a blue school uniform and shiny black school shoes.

He had just flipped to a photo of the woman and Cody, now about eight, waving from the car of a rollercoaster ride, when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Booth, I came to see -" Brennan halted as Booth glanced up, startled, his warm brown eyes overbright with unshed tears. "Booth, is everything okay?"

Booth had to chuckle at his partner's concern. "Yeah, everything's okay, Bones. Sorry. I was just going through Cody's photo album – all these pictures of her as a kid, they're just making me realise how much I missed."

"Do you want me to go?" Brennan asked uncertainly, already inching towards the door.

"No, that's okay. Stay. C'mere, come look with me."

"Booth, I don't know, I -"

"Please, Bones." Brennan couldn't say no to Booth's pleading. She leaned over his shoulder to see the photos, smiling as he pointed proudly to each one.

"Look, Bones, she was school captain," he murmured, when a photo showed 12-year-old Cody grinning proudly, innocently, her badge shining against the blue material of her uniform. And, some pages later, at a photo of her, now 15 or 16, in a pale blue, strapless dress, hair curled over one shoulder, a boy's arm wrapped around her slender shoulders, Booth whispered wistfully, "Look at her, Bones. She's so beautiful."

"She is," Brennan agreed simply.

Finally, they reached the last page of the album. The woman, who had been absent from the more recent photos, looked drastically different – her head was bald, her face gaunt, with sharp cheekbones visible through her translucent skin and dark purple circles under her eyes. She had Cody wrapped up in an embrace that was both fierce and fragile all at once. Both the woman and the girl smiled at the camera; but there was resignation and unspeakable regret and sadness radiating from the woman's sea-grey eyes; and already, Cody's eyes, so identical to the woman's, were filled with the despair and tragedy Booth had seen in them every day since her arrival.

"Is that Cody's mother?" Brennan murmured. Booth's only reply was a nod. Brennan laid a hand on Booth's shoulder and squeezed gently; Booth's hand moved automatically up to cover hers, in a gesture of silent thanks. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and quickly flipped back to the beginning, to show Bones Cody's baby pictures, the snapshots of happier times. Until -

"Seeley!"

_Thwack_. Booth slammed the album shut and buried it under a pile of folders in one swift movement. At the same time, the partners sprang apart.

"Hannah!" Booth rushed over to the blonde standing expectantly in the doorway of his office, pulling her into an affectionate embrace. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't get back till Saturday?"

"Well, the conference finished early, so I came home to surprise you," Hannah replied coyly, wrapping his funky tie around her hand.

"Colour me surprised," Booth chuckled weakly as her lips met his. Brennan, apparently totally forgotten, was left standing awkwardly by Booth's desk, watching the reunion blankly. She tried to suppress the nagging feeling deep in her stomach, and the strange tightness in her chest, that seemed to occur whenever she saw Booth and Hannah together. She couldn't attribute these sensations to any known disease, so she shoved the uncomfortable feelings aside, focusing on breathing. _Compartmentalise_, she told herself. _You're good at that_.

"So, I need to drop my stuff off at the apartment and run a few errands this afternoon, but...dinner tonight?" Hannah suggested, with twinkling eyes and a raised eyebrow.

"Sure, I'll meet you at the restaurant after work." Satisfied, Hannah gave one last parting kiss, waved her fingers in Brennan's direction, and flounced from Booth's office.

Exhaling deeply, Booth spun on his heel to fix Brennan with a serious stare.

"You have to take Cody for me tonight."


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi all! Sorry, I feel like it's been a while – exams and whatnot. Anyway, let me know what your thoughts are on this chapter. I'd love some feedback. Next one should be up soon.**

**Happy Halloween to those who celebrate it.**

**Chapter 7:**

"Bones, hang on a minute – would you just – Bones – wait!"

"No!"

Temperance Brennan stormed onto the forensics platform, eyes blazing and latex gloves snapping. She was quickly followed by her anxious, pleading partner.

"Bones, _please, _just -"

"Mr Bray, have you finished cataloguing the injuries?" she snapped at her intern. Wendell jumped nervously, startled by her ferocity, and the dark scowl that decorated her face.

"Uh, yes, Dr Brennan, I just finished. I just gave Angela the data. She should have a scenario on the Angelator in a couple of hours -"

"Bones, could you just -"

"Mr Bray, I'm dissatisfied with how long it took you to finish cataloguing these injuries," Brennan said tersely, determinedly ignoring her partner's frustrated interjections. The tips of his ears burning red with shame, Wendell stared at his mentor, speechless.

"Uh-oh, Bren's snapping at the intern, you must've done something _really_ bad, Booth," Angela smirked as she sauntered across the platform to intervene before the whole thing exploded into screaming and tears.

"That has nothing to do with this situation, Angela. I am merely unhappy with Mr Bray's delay in his work," Brennan protested.

"Oh, that's bull sweetie, and you know it. What happened?" Angela's dark eyes flashed pointedly between the pair. Brennan, in her usual stubbornness, had turned her attention to the remains on the steel table, ignoring her partner and friend as she examined the hyoid bone. With a heavy sigh, Booth realised he was going to have spill this to the curious artist if they were ever going to resolve it.

"Uh, Hannah came back early and surprised me this morning. I kind of agreed to meet her for dinner tonight, and when she left, I just – I panicked, I guess and I...asked Bones to take Cody for me tonight -"

"You what?"

"- which Bones refused to do -"

"I told you Booth, I don't want to get involved! This is between you and Hannah, it's none of my business."

"I know, Bones, I know I did the wrong thing, and I've been trying to apologise for it, but you've been running away, just like you always do whenever things get hard -"

Booth stopped dead, eyes wide with panic and guilt. A hurt expression flashed across Brennan's face, her eyes shining with both realisation and a profound pain at the sting of his harsh word. In the same moment, it was replaced by a blank expression – carefully neutral, distant, aloof. He could practically see her building her protective walls a little higher, tightening her defences, trying to guard her heart in a fortress of reason and logic and science. Gut churning with guilt, he mentally kicked himself.

"Oh, God, Bones, I-I didn't mean that, I'm so sorry, please -"

"If you'll all excuse me, I have some files in my office that require my immediate attention." Her voice was as cold and icy as steel, and within moments she had disappeared into her office, flicking the blinds close as she entered. Booth ran a hand over his face, suddenly drained. How had things become so messed up so quickly?

"Oh, Booth, was that really necessary?" Angela questioned softly, arms folded over her chest, shooting him that "I'm-thoroughly-peeved-at-you-but-I-won't-kick-you're-ass-because-I-feel-sorry-for-you" look.

"I know, I know," he grumbled. "That was -"

"Mean."

"Yeah. I just...lost it. I mean, I know I shouldn't have asked her to take Cody, I was being a coward but...she just went into avoidance mode and I-I...I don't know."

"Sweetie." Angela inched forward, still torn between kicking his sorry ass up and down the sidewalk, and comforting him. The maternal comforting instinct won out – she blamed it on the pregnancy hormones - but her attitude didn't give up without a fight. "You've kind of been ignoring her since we all got back."

"What? No I haven't!"

"Yeah, G-man, you have. Well, perhaps 'ignoring' is too strong. You...haven't been paying close attention to her. You've been caught up with Hannah and the new life you're sharing."

"What's wrong with that? I deserve to be happy, don't I?" he demanded defensively.

"Of course you do. And we all like Hannah. But you let your friendship with Brennan slide. Not you're partnership, just your friendship. The dynamic's shifted, you've got to admit it. And Bren, she's been happy for you, and supportive but...she doesn't know where she stands anymore, and I think she misses you."

Booth stared at his friend, shocked. Had he really been neglecting his best friend, his partner, as she said? Brow furrowing, he realised that he had been concentrating on Hannah since they'd got back. There had been few post-case drinks with Bones, and no late nights of Thai takeout and paperwork. _You've invited her out to dinner with you and Hannah_, the defensive part of his brain insisted. But Bones had always refused, distancing herself – and he knew now, it was because she felt awkward and uncertain of herself.

Damn it.

"And then Cody came into your life," Angela continued, watching as realisation dawned on his face, "and suddenly you were sharing more of your life with her again. And I think she was glad to be more involved. But can you see why she freaked out? She didn't want to get caught in the middle of you and Hannah over Cody – it's all new, strange territory to her, and she's never been very good at dealing with emotional situations."

"Oh my god Angela, you're right." A sigh rushed from Booth's lips. "What do I do, Ange?"

"Man up," she replied vaguely, flashing him her trademark knowing smirk. "Weren't you going to tell Hannah about Cody, anyway? Why'd you need Brennan to take her for that?"

"I had a plan," Booth groaned in frustration. "I was going to pick Hannah up from the airport on Saturday, take her out to coffee and explain the whole situation to her before taking her home to introduce her to Cody. I didn't want to just spring it on her suddenly. But she...kind of put a kink in those plans, and I just freaked. It's still so new with Hannah, I don't want to ruin it." His tone was almost pleading. Angela simply smiled kindly.

"You'll work it out." And with that, she was gone, leaving Booth alone on the platform to fret.

The buzzing of Booth's cell phone dragged him from his tumultuous thoughts; impromptu Major Crimes meeting back at the Hoover, the voice informed him. Groaning, he hauled himself back to the FBI, head still spinning with everything he needed to fix.

B&B&B&B&B

The sun was beginning to dip behind the horizon by the time Booth returned to the Jeffersonian that evening; the heavy summer heat, however, refused to fade with the dying light. Angela had messaged him to let him know that she had worked up a computerised scenario for the case; he suspected it was more of a pointed reminder to 'man up' and apologise to Bones.

As he strode through the lab, he noticed the team was gathered on the platform, animatedly discussing something. Cody was with them too, so he guessed it wasn't case related. Swiping his card, he leapt up the stairs.

"Hey guys. Hey, kiddo. Whatcha talkin' about?"

Bones stiffened at the sound of his voice, refusing to acknowledge him, and he cast a guilty glance at her back. The others, however, turned to greet him with smiles, Cody spinning right around to flash an eager grin.

"The anthropological significance of heroes and villains, according to Dr Brennan," she explained with a smile, and Booth couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, that's – hey, I didn't know you wore glasses!" Sure enough, a pair of rectangular, dark blue, half-rimmed frames balanced on the bridge of her nose, perfectly framing her thin, pale face and emphasising the grey-blue of her eyes.

"Oh, I forgot I was wearing them, I was watching a movie before. I have myopia."

"What's that?" Booth asked, a little worried.

"Near-sightedness." The answer had slipped from Brennan's lips automatically, but she still refused to meet his eyes. Booth grinned wryly at this.

"Why couldn't you just say near-sighted then, huh?" he demanded teasingly. "Sheesh, kid, you sure got all your mum's genes. It's hard to believe you're actually my daughter too," he joked with a grin, ruffling her hair slightly.

"Your what?"

Booth froze at the sound of the familiar, decidedly feminine voice. The smiles slipped from the squints' faces. He groaned internally – this was _not _how he wanted this to go down. Inhaling deeply, Booth slowly spun to face the confused woman standing at the bottom of the platform steps. He offered her a weak smile.

"Hey, Hannah."


	9. Chapter 8

**Hi guys, I am so so so so so so sorry for the major unannounced hiatus this story has been on. Apart from exams followed by a 5 week trip around Europe, I really have no excuse but my own laziness/writer's block. If I have any readers left at all, I hope you will forgive me and enjoy this latest instalment. Reviews are always welcomed.**

**Onwards with Chapter 8!**

A deathly silence settled over the forensic platform. Five pairs of eyes flickered between the two figures locked in an intense stare-off, like some sort of Old Western Showdown. Cody thought it was almost comical...except for the growing tension that fizzled in the air between them.

"Um, Hannah. I, uh...I have something I need to tell you..." Booth broke the silence with this hesitant stammer.

"So I've gathered," was the blonde woman's terse reply. Her body language was stiff; arms folded tightly against her chest, shoulders tense, back ram-rod straight. Her pretty features were arranged into an expression that was equal parts confusion, hurt and anger. It was pretty obvious to the squints, who had became spectators in this showdown, that shit was about to hit the fan.

Drawing in a deep, shuddering breath, Hannah once more shattered the silence that had resettled around them.

"What do you mean, she's your daughter?"

Booth winced at the blunt question. Hannah's voice was tight, as if she was trying to keep her emotions in control; but the way her voiced hitched to a note of hysteria at the word 'daughter' betrayed her feelings.

"Uh, well...Hannah, this is my daughter, Cody. I-I just found out about her recently."

"When?"

"I first got the call...three weeks ago."

Lips pursed, eyes narrowed, Hannah fixed her boyfriend with a withering stare which made him gulp.

"Three weeks. You've known about this for three weeks, and you haven't told me." Her words, so accusatory but so true, were like a punch in the gut, forcing another wince from Booth. He didn't want this to turn into a scene, not with the entire squint squad watching them with baited breath. He needed to calm her down, explain the situation; although, at the moment, the situation looked so bad, he hardly knew where to begin.

"Hannah, how about we go talk – somewhere private? And I can explain everything." Her eyes remained narrowed, her body stiff, but Hannah nodded once in reluctant agreement. His mind whirring, Booth tried to think of a more private place they could go. Bones' office was closest, and the most obvious option; but since she still wasn't feeling too kindly towards him after their fight, he figured that was a no-go zone. He settled on the next best place.

"Angela," he called over his shoulder, "d'you mind if we use your office?"

"Oh, um, sure thing, Booth."

Muttering a hasty 'thanks', Booth gently took hold of Hannah's arm and steered her towards the artist's office, trying to ignore the way she stiffened at his touch. Silence and stillness descended once more over the forensic platform as the team watched the tense couple leave. It was finally broken when Cam turned to Angela, arms folded and eyebrows raised.

"You have a lot of expensive equipment in your office, Angela."

"Yep."

"You'd better hope they don't start throwing stuff."

"Yeah, I'm praying to every god I can think of."

B&B&B&B&B&B&B

Slumped forlornly on the steps of the forensic platform, Cody nervously chewed her fingernails as she gazed absently into space, the tragic soulfulness of her eyes more pronounced than ever. In her mind, she could not stop the anxious, continuous replay of the scene she had witnessed earlier between Booth and the mysterious blonde woman who was evidently his girlfriend.

She had suspected that there was a woman in his life – the lipstick and tampons in the bathroom cupboard had been pretty clear indicators. But she hadn't know who; and she definitely hadn't known that Booth had kept Cody's presence a secret from this woman.

It bothered her, this weird secrecy; it made her confused and uncomfortable, and more than a little unwanted. Now, more than ever before, she felt like she was intruding in Booth's life. She didn't like the idea that she was upsetting his world and his relationships; the very thought of it made her squirm. When she'd started seeking out her father four months ago, she hadn't really thought about the disruptions she'd cause as she tried to fit herself into his life. All she'd really thought about was getting out of the foster system. Now, to use her mother's favourite phrase, it felt like she was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Angela's soft voice startled Cody from her melancholy musings. The rest of the team had busied themselves with their work on the forensic platform, trying to ignore the awkward tension that still lingered in the air; but the artist had been watching the girl with concern as she flopped despondently on the stairs, grey-blue orbs shining with perfect misery and nails bitten to the quick.

"Oh, hey Angela. I didn't see you there."

Angela lowered herself onto the step next to the dejected teenager, fixing her with a warm, penetrating gaze that Cody found comforting and unnerving all at once.

"I guess I'm just...wondering...if this is for the best," Cody began hesitantly.

"If what is for the best, sweetie?"

"This," Cody gestured vaguely with her hands at the space around her. "Coming here, trying to force myself into Booth's life. I just seem to be causing trouble, and I never wanted to do that. Maybe I should just go back."

"Back where? To the foster system?" Angela was shocked that Cody could even contemplate such a thing. She'd been around for less than a week, but already everyone at the lab was growing attached to the girl. And _Booth_...past the defensiveness that sprung from his guilt, it was plain for anyone to see that he adored his newly discovered daughter.

Cody shrugged in response.  
"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it's better than ruining other peoples' lives."

"Oh gosh, sweetie, please don't say stuff like that, don't even _think_ stuff like that." Angela took Cody's small hands between her own, forcing her to make eye contact. "You're not ruining Booth's life; he'd be horrified if he heard you say that. And he'd be devastated if you left. We all would, really. Trust me, Cody."

"But what about all the problems I've caused?" Cody asked, eyes bright with worry and unshed tears. "He's had a fight with Dr Brennan, and now with his girlfriend...and it's all my fault."

"Cody, sweetie, that is _not _your fault, you hear me?" Angela said firmly, pressing against the petite hands she had captured in her own. "That's Booth's problem. He caused those fights by being scared or confused or dishonest, or whatever's going on with him right now, but you can't blame yourself. Okay?" she added forcefully, and Cody nodded hesitantly in response. "Good. No more talk of going back to Sydney."

"How long were you in the foster system for?" a voice from behind suddenly interrupted, causing the two to turn where they sat. Neither had realised that Temperance Brennan had been listening in on their conversation; stepping away from the examination table, she now fixed all her attention on Cody, blue eyes sparkling with a chaotic collision of emotions. Angela cursed inwardly. This was a sensitive subject area for Bren; Angela didn't want her to freak Cody out, or vice versa. She listened nervously to their exchange.

"Four months, give or take. Three homes. Why?"

"I was in the foster system for three years. Trust me, you don't want to go back."

Cody stared at the forensic anthropologist in surprise. She had no idea that this successful scientist had once been a foster child like her.

"I'm sorry," Cody said softly, the tragic sorrow that poured from her eyes seeming to increase ten-fold in empathy. "That must've been hard."

"Fourteen homes in three years. It's...not a life I would wish on anyone," Brennan admitted, shining blue eyes locked on Cody's sparkling grey ones; the emotion and understanding that seemed to flood between the two was overwhelming, even to Angela, who watched on, her own eyes stinging with tears.

"Besides, it would crush Booth's heart if you left," Brennan added matter-of-factly, though the emotion still shining through her eyes belied her scientific tone. "He has very strong alpha-male tendencies; he already feels guilt over his absence from your life to date, and your departure would just cause him to think he had further failed in his responsibilities as a father." Cody cocked an eyebrow at Brennan's anthropological-speak. "And in any case, he loves you; so returning to a faulty and erratic foster system, thereby passing up the opportunity to remain in a good household with a father such as Booth, would be a highly illogical choice." she concluded with a shrug. Angela couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend. _Dr Temperance Brennan, ladies and gentlemen, _she thought with good-natured sarcasm; _the only woman in the world who can make love sound clinical._


End file.
